strange loops at the ends, that were flung overboard in hopes to
entangle me, and bring back their great fancy fish into that tank again.

Oh, no, Mister Sailorman, and Mister Deckhand. No, no! I had seen and
felt quite enough of being on land, thank you, to last me all the rest
of my life. And as the Dolphin family is very long lived, I hope that
many years of sweet, delicious freedom, and enjoyment of my native
element, are yet before me.

And if there was a great king of the Dolphins, as there must be a great
Friend of the Folks, that guides our affairs, I would send him a letter
a yard long, full of thanks for my freedom. It may be there is such a
king, but real knowledge of such things is way beyond me.

I saw strange craft as I boomed along, always giving them a wide berth.
And such fishes! Did you ever see an angel-fish? Don't ever wish to if
you haven't. It ought to be called evil spirit fish. In appearance it is
one of the quaintest, ugliest creatures that swims the sea. Some Folks
call it monk-fish. It is all of four feet long, has fierce, goggly eyes,
and a round, wicked-looking head, that seems nearly separated from the
rest of its thick body by a thin, short neck. Then such a
vicious-looking tail! Oh, you had better keep clear of an angel-fish.

A toad-fish looked like an enormous, swimming toad. Bless me! I caught
sight of a shark as I came well out into the ocean. He was more than
twenty feet long. Think of that! But they are thirty feet sometimes. His
great, fleshy, powerful tail takes him along as he looks from side to
side for his prey. I saw his pointed nose and his rows of awful teeth,
one over another.